Crowds gather for historic Paris march of defiance and sorrow

Hundreds of thousands of people joined by world leaders floodedParis on Sunday in a historic show of defiance and solidarity against terrorism following this week's Islamist attacks in the French capital.

11.01.2015

People gather on the Place de la Republique (Republic Square) in Paris before the start of a Unity rally “Marche Republicaine” on January 11, 2015 in tribute to the 17 victims of a three-day killing spree by homegrown Islamists. The killings began on January 7 with an assault on the Charlie Hebdo satirical magazine in Paris that saw two brothers massacre 12 people including some of the country's best-known cartoonists, the killing of a policewoman and the storming of a Jewish supermarket on the eastern fringes of the capital which killed 4 local residents. AFP PHOTO / BERTRAND GUAY

People attend a silent march for peace and respect, in Gent on January 11, 2015. The march is organised in tribute to the 17 victims of the three-day Islamist killings in Paris which started in Charlie Hebdo on 7 January. AFP PHOTO/ BELGA / NICOLAS MAETERLINCKMuslims hold a banner reading " No to terrorism and to Islamophobia " in Madrid on January 11, 2015 during a show of solidarity following three days of bloodshed triggered by an attack on French satirical weekly Charlie Hebdo that left 12 dead. From London to Berlin via Washington and Montreal, rallies are organized throughout the weekend with the highlight in Paris where more than a million people and dozens of world leaders are expected to participate in a massive and historic march in Paris today in solidarity with the victims of the Islamist attacks that killed 17 and deeply shook the country. AFP PHOTO / GERARD JULIENTOPSHOTS
A woman holds a sign reading "je suis Charlie" and the list of the journalists who were killed in the attack on the offices of Charlie Hebdo, in front of the Greek Parliament in Athens on January 11, 2015, in tribute to the 17 victims of a three-day killing spree by homegrown Islamists. The killings began on January 7 with an assault on the Charlie Hebdo satirical magazine in Paris that saw two brothers massacre 12 people including some of the country's best-known cartoonists, the killing of a policewoman and the storming of a Jewish supermarket on the eastern fringes of the capital which killed 4 local residents. AFP PHOTO / ANGELOS TZORTZINISTOPSHOTS
People hold a placard reading "Islam is peace, not barbarism" during a Unity rally “Marche Republicaine” on January 11, 2015 at the Place de la Republique (Republique's square) in Paris in tribute to the 17 victims of a three-day killing spree by homegrown Islamists. The killings began on January 7 with an assault on the Charlie Hebdo satirical magazine in Paris that saw two brothers massacre 12 people including some of the country's best-known cartoonists, the killing of a policewoman and the storming of a Jewish supermarket on the eastern fringes of the capital which killed 4 local residents. AFP PHOTO / LOIC VENANCETOPSHOTS
A sign that reads in French "Je suis l'ahmi Charled" a play on words on the slogan "Je suis Charlie" (I am Charlie) and rerefering to Ahmed Merabet, the French policeman killed, gather at the Place de la Republique at the start of a Unity rally “Marche Republicaine” on January 11, 2015 in Paris in tribute to the 17 victims of a three-day killing spree by homegrown Islamists. The killings began on January 7 with an assault on the Charlie Hebdo satirical magazine in Paris that saw two brothers massacre 12 people including some of the country's best-known cartoonists, the killing of a policewoman and the storming of a Jewish supermarket on the eastern fringes of the capital which killed 4 local residents. AFP PHOTO / JOEL SAGETTOPSHOTS
A man holds a replica pencil and a sign that reads, "All live together" at the Place de la Republique at the start of a Unity rally “Marche Republicaine” on January 11, 2015 in Paris in tribute to the 17 victims of a three-day killing spree by homegrown Islamists. The killings began on January 7 with an assault on the Charlie Hebdo satirical magazine in Paris that saw two brothers massacre 12 people including some of the country's best-known cartoonists, the killing of a policewoman and the storming of a Jewish supermarket on the eastern fringes of the capital which killed 4 local residents. AFP PHOTO / JOEL SAGETTOPSHOTS
People gather on the Place de la Republique (Republic Square) in Paris before the start of a Unity rally “Marche Republicaine” on January 11, 2015 in tribute to the 17 victims of a three-day killing spree by homegrown Islamists. The killings began on January 7 with an assault on the Charlie Hebdo satirical magazine in Paris that saw two brothers massacre 12 people including some of the country's best-known cartoonists, the killing of a policewoman and the storming of a Jewish supermarket on the eastern fringes of the capital which killed 4 local residents. AFP PHOTO / BERTRAND GUAYTOPSHOTS
The French national flag is placed at the statue of Marianne at the Place de la Republique at the start of a Unity rally “Marche Republicaine” on January 11, 2015 in Paris in tribute to the 17 victims of a three-day killing spree by homegrown Islamists. The killings began on January 7 with an assault on the Charlie Hebdo satirical magazine in Paris that saw two brothers massacre 12 people including some of the country's best-known cartoonists, the killing of a policewoman and the storming of a Jewish supermarket on the eastern fringes of the capital which killed 4 local residents. AFP PHOTO / JOEL SAGETTOPSHOTS
People gather to take part in a Unity rally “Marche Republicaine” on January 11, 2015 in Paris in tribute to the 17 victims of a three-day killing spree by homegrown Islamists. The killings began on January 7 with an assault on the Charlie Hebdo satirical magazine in Paris that saw two brothers massacre 12 people including some of the country's best-known cartoonists, the killing of a policewoman and the storming of a Jewish supermarket on the eastern fringes of the capital which killed 4 local residents. AFP PHOTO / LOIC VENANCELuxembourg's Prime Minister Xavier Bettel arrives at the Elysee Palace for a meeting before attending a Unity rally “Marche Republicaine” on January 11, 2015 in Paris in tribute to the 17 victims of a three-day killing spree by homegrown Islamists. The killings began on January 7 with an assault on the Charlie Hebdo satirical magazine in Paris that saw two brothers massacre 12 people including some of the country's best-known cartoonists, the killing of a policewoman and the storming of a Jewish supermarket on the eastern fringes of the capital which killed 4 local residents. AFP PHOTO / DOMINIQUE FAGET

(AFP) Hundreds of thousands of people joined by world leaders floodedParis on Sunday in a historic show of defiance and solidarity against terrorism following this week's Islamist attacks in the French capital.

As France mourned 17 victims of three days of bloodshed that included Jews and a Muslim police officer, the leaders of Israel and the Palestinian Authority were among those attending the mass rally.

Under blue skies, emotions were running high in the shell-shocked City of Light, with many of those gathering from all walks of life already in tears as they came together under the banner of freedom of speech and liberty.

Lassina Traore, a 34-year-old French-born Muslim from the Ivory Coast, gently placed 17 candles at the foot of the monument at the Place de la Republique, heaped with tributes to the dead.

The march is "a real sign of how strong France is. It shows that France is strong when she is united against these people," said the consultant.

"I want to show that we're not scared of the extremists. I want to defend freedom of expression," said 70-year-old Jacqueline Saad-Rouana.

The families of those who died in the shootings that shook France to its core will be at the very front of the march, leading royalty and heads of state.

Security was beefed up, with police snipers stationed on rooftops and plain-clothes officers among the crowd in a city still reeling from the Islamist attacks which left 12 staff and policemen dead at the Charlie Hebdo satirical magazine and claimed four lives at a Jewish supermarket. A policewoman was also killed.

"Today, Paris is the capital of the world," French President Francois Hollande said. "The entire country will rise up," he told ministers.

French Prime Minister Manuel Valls told a poignant rally on Saturday near where a gunman killed four hostages at the kosher store: "I have no doubt that millions of citizens will come to express their love of liberty, their love of fraternity."

In a foretaste of the demonstration, more than 700,000 people poured onto the streets of cities across France on Saturday, many carrying banners reading "Je suis Charlie" (I am Charlie), the tribute to Charlie Hebdo that has been the global rallying point in the wake of the slaughter.

Many brandished pens to symbolise freedom of expression after the magazine was targeted by brothers Said and Cherif Kouachi for publishing cartoons lampooning the Prophet Mohammed.

Strengthening EU borders

Along with Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Palestinian President Mahmud Abbas, the king and queen of Jordan will be present alongside a host of top European leaders, including German Chancellor Angela Merkel and British Prime Minister David Cameron.

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We stand together not just in anger and outrage but in solidarity and commitment in confronting extremists. (John Kerry)

"En route to Paris, with Paris, for Paris," tweeted Italian Prime Minister Matteo Renzi, using the hashtag #jesuischarlie (I am Charlie), which has already been tweeted more than five million times.

US President Barack Obama was represented by Attorney General Eric Holder, who took part in an emergency meeting of interior ministers to discuss the threats from Islamic extremism.

The ministers urged a strengthening of the EU external borders to limit the movement of extremists returning to Europe from the Middle East and said there was an "urgent need" to share European air passenger information.

Speaking on a visit to India, US Secretary of State John Kerry said: "We stand together this morning with the people of France. We stand together not just in anger and outrage but in solidarity and commitment in confronting extremists."

President Hollande, who will lead the tributes to the victims, has warned his grieving country not to drop its guard in the face of possible new attacks.

Hollande ahead of the march met representatives from the Jewish community who said authorities had agreed to even deploy soldiers to protect Jewish schools and synagogues "if necessary."

The rampage by three gunmen who claimed to be members of the Al-Qaeda and Islamic State extremist groups was followed by a chilling new threat from the Yemen-based Al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula.

AQAP top sharia official Harith al-Nadhari warned France to "stop your aggression against the Muslims" or face further attacks, in comments released by the SITE monitoring group.

German newspaper Bild said the bloodshed in France could signal the start of a wave of attacks in Europe, citing communications by Islamic State leaders intercepted by US intelligence.

3 days of terror

France's three days of terror started Wednesday when the Kouachi brothers burst into the Charlie Hebdo offices in central Paris and sprayed bullets into the editorial meeting, killing some of France's best-known cartoonists.

They then slaughtered a Muslim policeman as he lay helpless on the ground before fleeing, sparking a manhunt that lasted more than 48 hours.

A day later, a third gunman, Amedy Coulibaly, shot dead a policewoman in a southern Paris suburb.

In a video posted online Sunday, a man resembling Coulibaly said the gunmen coordinated their efforts and claimed he was a member of Islamic State who was avenging attacks by the international community on the extremist group.

The massive hunt for the attackers culminated in twin hostage dramas that gripped the world as Coulibaly stormed into a Jewish supermarket in eastern Paris and seized terrified shoppers.

The two brothers took one person hostage in a printing firm northeast of Paris. After a tense stand-off they charged out of the building all guns blazing before being shot dead.

Moments later, security forces stormed the kosher supermarket, killing Coulibaly but making the grisly discovery that four innocent people had died during the hostage-taking.

Investigators have been trying to hunt down Coulibaly's partner, 26-year-old Hayat Boumeddiene, but a security source in Turkey told AFP she arrived there on January 2, before the attacks, and has probably travelled on to Syria.

Intelligence failings

France's bloodiest attacks for more than half a century have raised mounting questions about how the gunmen could have slipped through the net of the intelligence services.

Coulibaly's mother and sisters on Saturday condemned his actions.

"We absolutely do not share these extreme ideas. We hope there will not be any confusion between these odious acts and the Muslim religion," they said.

Valls admitted there had been "clear failings" in intelligence after it emerged that the brothers had been on a US terror watch list "for years".